Cybersecurity is community security – eJewishPhilanthropy

https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/cybersecurity-is-community-security/

Publish Date: 2026-06-10 00:04:00

The recent eJewishPhilanthropy article exploring cybersecurity and the accelerating impact of artificial intelligence on online crime is both timely and unsettling (“Security experts warn philanthropic, Jewish worlds at risk as AI supercharges cyber attacks,” April 27). It highlights a reality many Jewish organizations are only beginning to fully absorb. While our community has invested heavily and appropriately in physical security, our institutions remain increasingly vulnerable in the digital realm.

Cybersecurity is no longer a future or theoretical concern. It is a present and growing threat to Jewish organizations of every size. Synagogues, schools, social service agencies and federations are being targeted not because they are large or wealthy, but because they are mission-critical, data-rich and often under-resourced when it comes to technology protection.

In British Columbia, Jewish communal leadership recognized this risk years ago. Understanding that cyber threats posed a systemic and potentially existential challenge, the Jewish Federation of British Columbia (formerly the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver) established a standing Cybersecurity Committee focused on prevention, preparedness and coordinated response. That early recognition proved critical.

Over the past several years, Jewish organizations across the province have experienced cyber incidents that disrupted operations, strained staff capacity and exposed just how fragile digital systems can be. These moments were sobering — not because they were surprising, but because they showed how quickly an organization can be destabilized. A single successful cyberattack can interrupt payroll, expose sensitive client or donor information, halt essential services and, in the worst cases, threaten organizational viability.

For nonprofits operating with lean staffing and…

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